Making Up for Meltdowns

Union League Club of Chicago replaces its traditional buffet set-up with a modular serving system

by Marilyn Odesser-Torpey (editor@clubandresortbusiness.com)
August 2007
 

When it’s carved or colored, ice can be art. But, in the buffet service area, a meltdown can make a major mess. At Chicago’s Union League Club, drips and sloshes were actually causing damage on the dance floor, according to Michael Garbin, the property‘s Executive Chef.

Garbin solved his problem by replacing his traditional buffet set-up with a modular serving system that requires no ice, instead relying on the internal recirculation of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved alcohol-based coolant to maintain foods at safe serving temperatures.

A range of temperature setting options and selection of interchangeable tray and bowl modules allow Garbin to customize the unit to a wide variety of different hold hot or cold foods. He says he has even used the system as an ice cream mix-in station that was part of a holiday dessert buffet for over 1,000 guests. The portable system (Garbin sets it up for both indoor and outdoor service) ranges in price from $8,000 to $12,000, depending on the number of modules included.